Propane, C₃H₈, is used as a fuel in many applications, including gas barbecue grills. Because of its widespread use, extensive research is underway to develop ways to produce propane from biomass. When propane burns, it combines with oxygen, O₂, to form carbon dioxide and water. Write a balanced chemical equation describing this reaction.

Strategy This problem requires two steps. First, we must read the problem and determine which substances are reactants and which are products. This will allow us to write an unbalanced “skeleton” equation. Then, we must proceed to balance the equation, making sure that the same number of atoms of each element appears on both sides.